Ontario's Local Poverty Reduction Fund

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Ontario's Local Poverty Reduction Fund

The Local Poverty Reduction Fund supports innovative, community-driven programs and fosters collaborative partnerships across Ontario. The fund's focus on measuring success and evidence gathered as a result will help community organizations evaluate their programs, demonstrate their progress and build a collective body of evidence of poverty reduction initiatives that work.

Last year, Ontario supported 41 projects in 20 communities with a total investment of over $12.6 million as part of the first round of the fund, including:

The City of Greater Sudbury's Out of the Cold emergency shelter program, is introducing two new client navigators to assist participants to move from street to home, and evaluate the impact.

Tungasuvvingat Inuit, based in Ottawa, is developing, implementing and evaluating an Urban Inuit Employment Strategy to help their clients find stable employment and build a more secure future.

Toronto's Woodgreen Community Services is evaluating its Transition to Success program that helps female single-parent families who have experienced poverty and homelessness transition into employment.

New in 2016

Ontario has partnered with the Ontario Trillium Foundation to administer the Local Poverty Reduction Fund. The Ontario Trillium Foundation's primary role is to issue, execute and oversee funding agreements with community organizations that are selected to receive funding.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is also providing a range of supports to interested organizations, including webinars, workshops and one-on-one sessions. These enhanced supports are designed to promote local partnerships, encourage knowledge-sharing and assist applicants in preparing strong project proposals.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to develop their submissions using the enhanced supports available through the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Applicants can access these supports to begin drafting responses to the application questions, form partnerships (including identifying a third party evaluator) and attend webinars, workshops and one-on-one sessions.

Dedicated funding will be available for Indigenous-led projects. Organizations and groups can apply to this funding stream through a separate, more accessible, application process that encourages evaluation methods, partnerships and project ideas that are more responsive to unique Indigenous contexts. To learn more and apply for the dedicated Indigenous-led projects funding stream, please review the fund guide.

Who Can Apply?

The Local Poverty Reduction Fund is available to a wide range of groups, including:

Not-for-profit organizations

Registered charities

Broader public sector organizations such as municipal governments

District social service administration boards

Universities, colleges and school boards

Indigenous communities and Indigenous-led organizations.

Organizations whose applications are unsuccessful or who are not able to apply to this year's call for proposals will have another opportunity to apply in 2017.

Fund Criteria

To be considered for funding, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Projects are local, innovative initiatives that focus on preventing and transitioning people out of poverty, and support the goals of Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Projects help groups disproportionately affected by poverty, including women, single parents, people with disabilities, youth, newcomers, visible minorities, seniors and Indigenous Peoples.

Projects use community partnerships and collaboration to deliver programs and services.

Projects include partnerships with third-party evaluators (academia or practitioners) to develop and implement a clear evaluation framework.

Projects must be sustainable or include a transition plan.

How to Apply

Beginning on April 14, 2016, the application questions and fund guide for the general funding stream will be available online at Ontario Trillium Foundation. Organizations can register for an eligibility assessment to confirm their organization qualifies to apply for funding and learn more about the application process for the general funding stream, timelines and resources. Registered organizations will be able to submit project proposals starting in May 2016.

Applications for the all funding streams must be submitted by June 29, 2016. Late applications will not be assessed.

Eligible projects will be announced and funding will flow to grantees in fall 2016.